It’s always those two words on an invitation that cause the most trouble. Smart casual. Which is what, exactly? Your good jeans? The black pants you wear to work? Something involving a heel?
There is no official outfit, unfortunately. Even the etiquette books leave a fair amount of wiggle room. But here’s a useful way to think about it: if one part of your outfit looks a little dressed up, the rest can relax. A blazer with jeans, for instance. Or tailored pants with a sweater you’d happily wear on a Sunday.
The shoes matter more than you might think. Sometimes they’re the only thing separating an outfit that says dinner reservation from one that says grocery run.
And since what works at a restaurant may look a bit ridiculous at a backyard party, a few examples are in order.
1. After-work drinks/networking
The office blazer can stay. The rest of your work uniform? Not necessarily.
Those navy trousers you’ve been wearing all week would look rather good with a fine-knit sweater, especially in cream or a soft gray. Keep the blazer if you like, but leave it unbuttoned. There’s something a bit too serious about a fully buttoned jacket at seven in the evening, particularly when everyone else has a glass of wine.
Loafers are an obvious choice. A good one, too. A pair with a slightly chunky sole makes tailored pants feel less corporate, while a low block heel dresses things up without making the night an endurance test. Or skip the pants entirely. A pleated skirt, slim sweater, and knee-high boots have exactly the right amount of polish for a gallery opening or a colleague’s leaving party.
One small warning about blazers: they’re not all comfortable over sweaters. Try yours on before you’re rushing out the door. If you can barely bend your arms, something has to go. Preferably the thicker knit.
2. Dinner at a nice restaurant
Here’s where you can have a little fun.
Remember that slip dress you bought because it looked so lovely on the hanger? This might be its evening. A cropped cardigan takes away some of the formality, and pointed flats look unexpectedly good with a longer hem.
Then again, there are evenings when a dress feels like too much trouble. Dark jeans will do just fine at plenty of restaurants, provided you give them something worth wearing on top. A satin blouse, perhaps, with sleeves that fall loosely at the wrist. A narrow belt. Heeled mules if you’re in the mood.
Nothing needs to match exactly. In fact, it’s nicer when it doesn’t.
For dinner, I’d pay more attention to texture than color. A silky blouse with denim has a different feel from a cotton shirt with the same jeans. So does a fine wool dress compared with the jersey one you wore all afternoon.
Before you get too attached to the outfit, though, find out where you’re eating. There’s nice, and then there’s nice. A little restaurant research can save you from turning up in jeans when everyone else is wearing cocktail dresses. Also, sit down in the dress before you leave. Some hemlines behave beautifully until a chair gets involved.
3. An afternoon outdoors
Now forget the heels for a minute.
A garden party sounds terribly civilized until you’ve walked halfway across someone’s lawn and your shoes have disappeared into the grass. Save the stilettos for another day.
For a birthday lunch or afternoon shower, I’d go with a cotton shirt dress. They’re easy to wear, especially with flat leather sandals and a small bag. You could just as easily choose linen trousers and a simple tank, with a cardigan thrown over your shoulders. A little jewelry helps here. Gold hoops, a bracelet, something you already wear all the time. There’s no need to make a production of it.
Espadrille wedges are lovely for an outdoor gathering, assuming you can actually walk in them. Flat sandals are every bit as appropriate. And sneakers? At a casual backyard party, absolutely. At a more formal garden wedding or shower, I’d probably choose something else.
Take a cardigan regardless. It might be blazing hot at two and surprisingly cool by six, especially if everyone is still sitting outside.
When you’re still undecided
Some people have a gift for arriving at every occasion dressed exactly right. The rest of us occasionally need to send a text asking what everyone else is wearing.
Do it. There’s nothing embarrassing about checking.
Otherwise, consider the location before you start pulling clothes off hangers. Dinner in a formal dining room is different from drinks on a patio, even if both invitations say smart casual. And don’t underestimate the clothes you already own. That blazer you usually reserve for meetings might look much better with jeans. The dress you think is too fancy for daytime could be perfectly lovely with flats.
If all else fails, dress a touch nicer than you think you need to. Not dramatically nicer. Just enough that you won’t spend the first ten minutes wondering whether you should have changed.
Besides, it’s a party, not a fashion exam. You’re supposed to enjoy yourself!